When it comes to anti-aging and skin care, laser treatments are considered one of the most effective ways to improve your skin’s texture. Most experts agree that a large part of the skin changes we experience are due to sun damage, which leaves the skin spotted and leathery.

Laser treatments can reverse some of the results of sun damage – and a whole lot more. As with any other type of cosmetic procedure, however, it’s good to do your homework and learn about the different options that are available and what they can (and can’t) do for you.

Resurfacing the outer layer of your skin

Depending on your particular skin issues, type and color, a certain laser will be used to send a beam of energy beneath your skin to resurface the outer layer, as well as stimulate the production of new collagen.

Winter is the best time for laser treatments

When your skin has had laser treatments such as laser hair removal, it’s really important that you don’t expose any of that new, delicate skin to the sun.

There may be downtimeThe more invasive the laser, the longer it’s going to take for your skin to recover and return to its natural (though improved) appearance.

No downtime – skin redness or pinkness will be gone in less than one day

Minimal downtime — one to three days

Moderate downtime — a few days to one week

Significant downtime — at least a week

There are many different types of lasers and treatment levels

Non-ablative (medium strength) lasers, such as Clear+Brilliant, are gentler than ablative (the most heavy-duty) lasers. Light lasers can be used for minimal pigment problems and usually involve no downtime because the treatment doesn’t break the skin, but usually need to be performed more than once in order to achieve your desired results.

Maintaining your results

In order to protect your results, keep your skin out of the sun. Wear sunscreen every day, plus, plan on having periodic laser treatments in the future.